St. Clair River Area of Concern Binational Public Advisory Council for the St. Clair

River

Canadian co-chair :Kris Lee

U.S. co-chair: Janice Littlefield

AOCs in the Great Lakes

•! GLWQA Amendment Process •! “Listed” by International

Joint Commission (IJC)

The St. Clair River

•! Integral part of the Great Lakes

•! Part of connecting waters waters between Lake Huron and and

Lake Erie

•! 64 kilometers (40 miles) long

•! From mouth of Lake Huron, includes St. Clair River Delta

Watershed tributaries

•! Talfourd, Baby, Bowens, Clay, Marshy and Murphy

creeks

•! Sydenham River

•! Black, Pine and Belle rivers

•! Bunce Creek and Marine City Drain

St. Clair River - Socio-economics

•! Bordered by 11 communities

•! Shoreline home of 230,000 residents

•! Visited by 3.5 million tourists annually

•! Utilized by more than 20,000 anglers annually

•! Accessed by over 500,000 pleasure

watercraft annually

•! Used by 12,500 commercial freight vessels

annually

Sources: Sarnia-Lambton Economic Development Office, Canadian Coast Guard,

BoatCan Inc., Sarnia Lambton Tourism

St. Clair River - Natural Systems

•! Home to 91 species of fish

•! Major spawning area for sturgeon and 45 other

fish species

•! Home of 180 known aquatic plant species

•! Home of 250 bird and waterfowl species

•! Visited by 150,000 migratory waterfowl each

autumn

•! The St. Clair region is recognized under the

Convention on Wetlands of International

Importance, in part due to the wetlands of the

Walpole Island First Nations

Source: Remedial Action Plan, Stage I Report

Environmental Issues A.K.A. Beneficial Use

Impairments BUIs Impaired •! Restrictions on fish and wildlife consumption

•! Degradation of benthos

•! Restrictions on dredging activities

•! Restrictions on drinking water consumption or taste or odour problems

•! Beach closings

•! Degradation of aesthetics

•! Added costs to agriculture and industry

•! Loss of fish and wildlife habitat

BUIs Unimpaired

•! Eutrophication or undesirable algae

•! Degradation of phytoplankton and zooplankton populations

BUIs Needing Further Assessment •! Tainting of fish and wildlife flavour

•! Degradation of fish and wildlife populations

•! Fish tumours and other deformities

•! Bird and animal deformities or reproductive problems

Source: Table 6. Summary of Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA)

beneficial use impairments within the St.Clair River AOC

Challenges to St. Clair River AOC

Political/Administrative

4 government agencies

Funding volatility

Respecting First Nations Amendment to Great Lakes Water

Quality Agreement process

Environmental Habitat loss

Sediment

Fish consumption

Beach closings

Who is BPAC?

BPAC is a community of volunteers created in 1988 to assist RAP Team

•! Provides a voice for local stakeholders

BPAC consists of 56 members from Ontario and Michigan,

representing the sectors of:

•! Agriculture

•! Business and industry

•! Citizens-at-large

•! Community groups

•! Conservation and environment

•! Education

•! Fishery

•! Health

•! Labour

•! Municipalities

•! Native peoples

•! Provincial/state agencies

•! Shipping

•! Tourism and recreation

Recent Successes

•! Sediment studies and remediation projects (DOW,

Environment Canada, MOE)

•! Industrial waste water improvements •! City of Sarnia combined sewer separation

•! Guthrie Park shoreline softening •! Wetlands Projects - DOW

•! Terra Industries 20 hectare naturalization project

•! ICI Canada - 20 hectare wetland •! Highway 40 Corridor

•! St Clair River Tributaries Watershed Report Card •! City of Port Huron Sewer Separation

•! Completion of regional watershed plan

•! Submission of 8 fish and wildlife habitat restoration projects totaling $16 million dollars

•! Branton-Cundick Park •! Sarnia Bay Point demonstration site

Map courtesy of the Sarnia-Lambton Environmental Association

BPAC Activities to Restore

Beneficial Uses •! Public outreach and education

•! Media releases, civic and school outreach and education

•! 2006 Photo Contest

•! 2008 Healthy Lakes Healthy Lives Tour

•! 2009 St. Clair River RAP Video

•! 2010 Rain Barrel Public Art Project.

•! BUI Fact Sheets

•! Speaking engagements

•! Participation in community events

•! Partnerships with other environmental

interest groups

BPAC Contact Information:

Visit us on the web at: www.friendsofstclair.ca

Janice Littlefield Kris Lee

U.S. Co-Chair Canadian Co-Chair

(810) 985-4841 (519) 892-3813

Other related resources on the web:

Friends of the St. Clair Watershed (US)

Great Lakes Information Network

Sarnia-Lambton Environmental Association

Ministry of the Environment

Environment Canada

Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment

USEPA

International Joint Commission

Questions